Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Yesterday, Alison Klumpp, daughter of Marilyn and Don Praisner, made the following comments at a tribute to Don Praisner at the County Council.From the family and from myself, I would like to thank you for the support that you’ve given us, not just in the last few weeks, but in the last year and for your kind words here today. It’s interesting to hear you all say my father had a quiet voice because when you were in trouble as a kid, it was not a quiet voice! Every time one of you said that I had to kind of chuckle inside. I remember those times of breaking curfew or not doing chores, and definitely did not have a quiet voice from Dad.

But my father did care for this county very deeply. A year ago he said that the only argument he ever won with my Mom was where they were going to live when they got married and it was Montgomery County. He truly cared for Montgomery County. He truly cared for the residents and for the way of life that he thought people should be allowed to live in Montgomery County.

He loved what he did. And while, yes, he missed those golf days when he was here instead, this is where he wanted to be. He wanted to be here doing what my Mom started and doing what the two of them felt were the right things to do: taking care of education, taking care of transportation and all the many other facets that you all do. And that’s why he did it. He did it because he cared. And he did it because he wanted to preserve the life that he has been living in Montgomery County for all those decades.

When we were here a year ago at his tribute for my mother, he kind of saw it as a finality to my life as well. I mean, I grew up at the Board of Education office, I grew up at the County Council office. My daughters have definitely grown up at this office. And I kind of saw it as my last time here as well. And then Dad won. It was kind of like a homecoming a little bit to come back here. And today walking through these doors I realized the finality of it all really does exist. There won’t be another Praisner on the dais. There won’t be another Praisner office. And it hurts. But I am proud of what my parents have accomplished and I hope that their legacy will live on for many years to come.

I would most especially like to thank Joy and Sherri and Claire and Pat and Jackie because to me this is kind of a finality with you all as well. And I want to thank you for everything you have done for my mother, for my father and for us. I’m not sure how we could have gotten through the last year without you all. Thank you very much.